The National Thriving Schools Youth Council (NTSYC), hosted through Kaiser Permanente, focuses on making schools across the country healthier physically, mentally, and emotionally. Through bimonthly virtual meetings, young leaders discuss recommendations and solutions to pressing issues, hear from school/district officials, and collaborate on key initiatives with peers. After identifying mental health as their focus issue, the first youth council cohort researched ways to improve mental health for students.

This effort led to the establishment of a comprehensive set of mental health recommendations that proposed student-centered approaches to school policy. During the 2024-2025 school year, the NTSYC will use these recommendations as a guide as they focus on how mental health impacts chronic absenteeism throughout schools.

Recommendation #1 – More Student Advocacy for Mental Health
The NTSYC strongly recommend that students take a stronger stance in voicing their concerns and suggestions for the betterment of their schools. The NTSYC believes the reasoning behind school policies is too often based on assumptions rather than students’ lived testimonies. The NTSYC recommends taking action to build a mental health advocacy platform to build a coalition of like-minded students and adult allies that can rally to influence local communities and decision-makers. Specific actions to take:

• Evaluate if your school has platforms that center around student voices (for example monthly student-principal meetings, student voice surveys, student representative councils, etc.)
• If there are no existing programs, initiate a program that allows students to collaborate with faculty and administrators to facilitate dialogue and propose reforms
• Call for opportunities in which students form professional relationships with their school board and city council to amplify students’ influence and power

Recommendation # 2 – Better and More Accessible Resources for Mental Health in Schools
One of the NTSYC’s top goals is to reduce the disparities in health resource access across school campuses nationwide. To achieve this, they recommend balancing the number of counselors and social workers and to provide students with easier access to needed mental health resources. Even without significant funding changes, schools could provide individual and group support resources, including strategies such as peer-to-peer mentors, free student talk spaces, and student-directed learning services. Considering the amazing diversity many schools enjoy; the NTSYC implores schools to reframe their mental health missions to be more inclusive towards the needs and interests of students of all races and ethnicities. Specific actions to take:

• Utilize Technology! As a district, contemplate partnerships with companies like Better Help or TalkSpace to provide students with access to free online resources
• Tailor support for the diverse communities present by funding varied after-school programs, sports, tutoring, etc.
• Partner with organizations like Communities In Schools to expand community resources available for students
• Fully utilize resources like social media to broadcast pertinent student support information and highlight student success in academics, athletics, and extracurriculars
• Promote existing school resources such as nurses and social workers by creating easy-to-understand materials for students (in the form of posters, outreach, etc.)
• Fully utilize the student population as a resource by creating peer-to-peer mentor groups and/or upperclassmen-led tutoring and mentoring services.

Recommendation # 3 – Improved Student-Staff Relationships
A healthy relationship with peers and adults leaves a lasting impression on students and refills their outlook with optimism. An effective school culture requires a focus on the whole student’s development and not just their test scores. The NTSYC recommendation is to introduce innovative teaching, counseling, training, and assessment measures that support students and staff both inside and outside the classroom and bring more relevant instruction strategies to schools across the country. With better training and guidance for all staff and more holistic measures for student development and progress, the council believes it’s possible to create healthier, more trust-filled schools where young people can thrive. Specific actions to take:

• Each month or quarter, consult a team of students that discuss school culture and staff relationships to set objectives and work together to set monthly and/or quarterly goals
• Establish connections with organizations such as Eye To Eye and Attendance Works to discuss reforms like AI-facilitated project-based learning
• Prioritize developing effective disciplinary measures through restorative justice training

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The National Thriving Schools Youth Council was formerly known as the National Healthy Schools Collaborative Youth Council.